(SOLD) This is a mid-1950s White Dot Sheaffer Snorkel Statesman fountain pen in Pastel Blue with a palladium silver Triumph Fine nib. The pen has been restored, which included a complete disassembly, a thorough cleaning, an overhaul of the filling mechanism, ink flow adjustment, nib tuning, and a gentle polish with a soft cloth (by hand). I work according to current "best practices" in pen restoration and I use high-quality replacement parts.

This is a fantastic specimen of the famous Sheaffer Snorkel Statesman! It looks beautiful, without any flaws or defects, with just the faintest surface wear. The nib even still has the "F4" sales tag, designating its width (Fine) and material (palladium silver). The Pastel Blue material is deep, rich, and vibrant. The gold-filled trim in equally excellent shape.

The Snorkel was advertised as a "dunk-free" filler, and it truly is the cleanest, most advanced filling mechanism ever made. The Snorkel is also excellent at regulating ink flow. With its large ebonite feed and a long ebonite air exchange channel inside the Snorkel tube, the pen will expertly buffer and control the flow of ink onto the paper. The Triumph nib, perfected by the 1950s, gives you two writing surfaces, and a pleasant, gliding sensation. It's a firm nib, writing at the lightest touch, but it will take a heavier hand with ease.

The Snorkel (and this one in particular) is a fantastic beginner fountain pen. If you are coming to the pen hobby from years of using a ballpoint pen, why go through several Lamy Safari, TWSBI, or Pilot pens, if you can have this vintage beauty that is better suited to daily writing tasks than most pens in its price range, and beyond. The Snorkel will be very forgiving of rotation and angle. If you are a heavy "finger writer," and, let's be honest, most of us are, the nib will give you a large sweet spot. Though this nib sold as a Fine, I'd rank the line width closer to a Western extra-fine (0.5 mm on my business paper), so it'll be perfect for all kinds of daily writing tasks.